Viscous fluid type heat generator

Abstract

A viscous fluid type heat generator including a housing assembly defining a heat generating chamber, a fluid storing chamber communicated through fluid passageway means with the heat generating chamber, and a heat receiving chamber for permitting a heat exchanging fluid to circulate therethrough to receive heat from the heat generating chamber. A rotor element is mounted on a drive shaft for rotation in the heat generating chamber with a gap defined between the inner wall surfaces of the heat generating chamber and the outer faces of the rotor element. The fluid passageway means includes a fluid withdrawing passageway for withdrawing the viscous fluid from the gap into the fluid storing chamber and a fluid supply passageway for supplying the viscous fluid from the fluid storing chamber into the gap. The fluid withdrawing passageway has a separate duct configuration and opens at one end to an outer peripheral region of the heat generating chamber to communicate the outer peripheral region with the fluid storing chamber. The fluid supply passageway has a separate duct configuration and opens at one end to a radially inner region of the heat generating chamber to communicate the radially inner region with the fluid storing chamber.

We claim: 
     
       1. A viscous fluid type heat generator comprising: a housing assembly defining therein a heat generating chamber in which heat is generated, a fluid storing chamber communicated through fluid passageway means with said heat generating chamber, and a heat receiving chamber arranged separately from said heat generating and fluid storing chambers for permitting a heat exchanging fluid to circulate through said heat receiving chamber to thereby receive heat from said heat generating chamber, said heat generating chamber having inner wall surfaces thereof, in which said fluid passageway means opens, and forming a fluid-tight chamber together with said fluid storing chamber;   a drive shaft supported by said housing assembly to be rotatable about an axis of rotation of the drive shaft, said drive shaft being connected to an external rotation-drive source;   a rotor element mounted to be rotationally driven by said drive shaft for rotation together with the drive shaft within said heat generating chamber, said rotor element having outer faces confronting said inner wall surfaces of said heat generating chamber via a gap defined therebetween; and   a viscous fluid, held in said gap defined between said inner wall surfaces of said heat generating chamber and said outer faces of said rotor element, for heat generation by the rotation of said rotor element, and stored in said fluid storing chamber of said housing assembly, said viscous fluid being able to flow between said heat generating chamber and said fluid storing chamber through said fluid passageway means;   wherein said fluid passageway means comprises a fluid withdrawing passageway for withdrawing said viscous fluid from said gap in said heat generating chamber into said fluid storing chamber and a fluid supply passageway for supplying said viscous fluid from said fluid storing chamber into said gap in said heat generating chamber;   said fluid withdrawing passageway having a separate duct configuration and opening at one end to an outer peripheral region of said heat generating chamber to communicate said outer peripheral region of said heat generating chamber with said fluid storing chamber; and   said fluid supply passageway having a separate duct configuration and opening at one end to a radially inner region of said heat generating chamber to communicate said radially inner region of said heat generating chamber with said fluid storing chamber.   
     
     
       2. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 1, wherein said fluid withdrawing passageway opens to said fluid storing chamber at a position above a fluid level of said viscous fluid accommodated in said fluid storing chamber, and wherein said fluid supply passageway opens to said fluid storing chamber at a position below said fluid level of said viscous fluid accommodated in said fluid storing chamber. 
     
     
       3. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 1, wherein said fluid passageway means further includes a second fluid withdrawing passageway opening to a radially inner region of said heat generating chamber, said second fluid withdrawing passageway being formed separately from first said fluid withdrawing passageway and said fluid supply passageway, to communicate said radially inner region of said heat generating chamber with said fluid storing chamber. 
     
     
       4. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 3, wherein said first and second fluid withdrawing passageways open to said fluid storing chamber at positions above a fluid level of said viscous fluid accommodated in said fluid storing chamber, and wherein said fluid supply passageway opens to said fluid storing chamber at a position below said fluid level of said viscous fluid accommodated in said fluid storing chamber. 
     
     
       5. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 1, wherein said heat generating chamber defines in said outer peripheral region thereof an annular communication gap portion between a circumferential wall surface of said heat generating chamber and a circumferential face of said rotor element to join opposed gap portions disposed at front and rear sides of said rotor element, and wherein said fluid withdrawing passageway opens to and confronts said annular communication gap portion. 
     
     
       6. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 1, further includes a fluid guide provided in said heat generating chamber for guiding said viscous fluid held in said gap along said fluid guide from said radially inner region of said heat generating chamber toward said outer peripheral region thereof upon rotation of said rotor element. 
     
     
       7. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 6, wherein said fluid guide includes at least one channel recessed in at least one of inner wall surfaces of said heat generating chamber to open, over substantially an entire length of said channel, to said heat generating chamber, said channel extending from said radially inner region of said heat generating chamber toward said outer peripheral region thereof. 
     
     
       8. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 7, wherein said at least one channel linearly extends along a center line thereof which is angularly shifted from a radial line of said at least one of inner wall surfaces so that a radially inner end of said channel is displaced rearward relative to said radial line in a direction of rotation of said rotor element. 
     
     
       9. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 8, wherein said withdrawing passageway opens at one end to and directly communicates with said channel. 
     
     
       10. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 1, further includes a partition member for separating said heat generating chamber from said fluid storing chamber, said fluid withdrawing passageway being formed in said partition member. 
     
     
       11. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 10, wherein said partition member is provided with a division wall for defining a passage of said heat exchanging fluid in said heat receiving chamber, said fluid withdrawing passageway being formed in said division wall. 
     
     
       12. The viscous fluid type heat generator of claim 1, wherein said fluid storing chamber is designed to accommodate said viscous fluid, an amount of which is larger than the capacity of said gap defined in said heat generating chamber, and wherein said fluid storing chamber is formed adjacent to said heat receiving chamber.